In manufacturing, construction, medicine and other fields there is a frequent requirement to provide a protective barrier on the surface of an object in order to prevent damage or trauma, exposure (e.g., to air to prevent oxidation), contamination (e.g., by infectious agents or hand-borne contaminants), or premature interaction (e.g., adhesion to an unintended object or with undesired alignment). In addition protective barriers can help to align, fix, adhere, or otherwise control an interface between two surfaces. Examples would include the application of laminates or veneers to cover a base structure, tiles or insulation layers to a building feature, a protective layer over sensitive electronic components, or in the application of elastic bandages. A removable covering may itself bear an adhesive layer as a means of temporary fixation to a non-adhesive bearing device. In applications where the protected object itself exhibits an adhesive layer that is intended to adhere the object to another surface, the removable covering is placed over the adhesive layer and is removed as part of the application process. Generally the adherent object must be turned and rotated out of its intended application orientation in order for the covering to be removed. The subsequent need to align the unprotected adhesive surface may lead to mal-position or misapplication. The process of covering exposure for removal can impede effective placement and/or alignment of the surfaces to be adhered. Several examples can illustrate the potential problems with such a maneuver.
In the application of adhesive bandages, the undersurface (adhesive surface) of the bandage must be turned upwards so that the grasping tabs of the backing, typically near the center (pad) of the bandage, can be accessed or visualized. As the covering is removed, the bandage must then be again rotated 180 degrees so that the undersurface can be applied to the skin, and during this reorientation an inadvertent adhesion of one portion of the bandage to another can occur, thus potentially making the bandage unusable. If, during the course of application, the covering is initially only partially removed, the bandage must be rotated without inadvertently removing the remaining attachments, thereby again potentially allowing elements of the bandage to adhere to other parts of the bandage and making the bandage unusable, or by potentially contaminating the bandage. If the covering is totally removed prior to application, this requires that the adhesive surfaces be grasped by the fingers and risks contamination of the central pad of the bandage or poor adherence of the adhesive zone that has been previously grasped prior to attachment to the wound site. Grasping and releasing the bandage at the adhesive surface is particularly difficult when the user is wearing gloves. If the user wishes to apply the bandage under tension so as to create an elastic force within the bandage prior to application, this requires the entire bandage covering to be removed and the adhesive surfaces to be grasped with the users hands, again potentially affecting sterility or adherence of the device. In addition, removal of the covering can be a challenge for patients with limited dexterity, for example in the case in the case of severe arthritis or where one hand may have poor function due to injury. In such instances, removal of the bandage packaging represents an additional step in preparing and positioning the bandage.
Another example representing the potential issues involved when removing a covering can be illustrated in the adherence of decorative coverings or devices to a flat surface, whether these coverings be stiff (e.g., veneers) or flexible (e.g., elastic or woven sheets). When the decorative coverings or devices are stiff, the adhesive layer on the decorative covering or device must be exposed without adherent surfaces being already in alignment, as the devices to be adhered to each other (e.g., a decorative covering and a surface) are brought into proximity it is very easy to have the surfaces inadvertently adhere in a malaligned orientation. In this instance, removal and repositioning of the decorative covering or device is necessitated, and in instances where the strength of the adhesion is great due to either large adhesed surface areas or to the inherent strength of the adhesive, this may lead to damage to either or both of the adhesed surfaces. If the decorative covering is flexible this same issue of alignment after covering removal is encountered, and in addition folds can be created during the course of application that may not be correctable, an damage to either of the adhesed surfaces can occur.
While many other examples exist, it is seen that a covering or covering device (e.g., a protective covering) that can assist in the alignment and placement of one device to be adhered to another surface is desirable. Similarly, combining such a covering device and integrated packaging can help control the position, orientation, application, and use of devices without direct manipulation of the device itself and can assist in removal of the backing. In both these types of uses, if packaging devices are configured to function as either an integral part of a covering device or to facilitate application of said covering device, this may lead to reduced materials and waste and improved ease of use.